Machine for washing cans and the like



May 923. l,453,738 F.. F. VWOLF MACHINE FOR WASHING CANS AND THE LIKE Filed DBC- 31. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 1, 1923., l,453,738

F. F. WOLF MACHINE FOR WASHING CANS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet j?? /9 75 Jof- 25 22 A /J/L Patented May l, 1923.

FRANK F. WOLF, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO RICE & ADAMS CORPORA- TION, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR WASHING CANS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed December 31, 1921.

T 0 all lwho/m it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK F. VOLF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo. in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for lVashing Cans and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to washing machines of the type used for washin the articles to be washed are moved with their mouths downward through the machine over suitable nozzles or spray devices whereby the articles are subjected to jets or sprays of water, steam or other cleaning, sterilizing or drying iuid.

It is desirable in machines of this charac'v ter that the cleaning, sterilizing or drying liuid be permitted to discharge from the jets or spray devices only when articles to be cleaned are positioned thereover. vVarious means have been proposed for effecting this object, one of such means including valves for controlling the discharge of fluid from the jet or spray devices and the provision of controlling levers or devices arranged and formed to be actuated by the weight of cans or other articles to open the valves while the cans or other articles remain in contact with the levers and permit the cleaning fluid to discharge to th'e cans, and arranged so as to close to stop the discharge of fluid when the cans are moved oi of the levers. Owing to the rather delicate adjustments necessary to be maintained between the valves and their operating levers and to the fact that the cans are not always of suicient weight to eect a satisfactory opening of the valves, serious disadvantages are attendant upon the use of this ty e of valve control. Other devices have inc uded separate mechanism for eifecting a periodic actuation of the spray discharge valves.

In certainmachines of this type the cans or articles are caused to move through the machine and Vover the cleansing devices by reciprocating conveyor or feed bars or the like provided with suitable dogs or parts for engaging the articles, whereby, as the conveyor or feed bars are actuated, the articles to be cleaned are moved tosuccessively advanced positions in the machine over the cans, bottles, or the like, in which:

Serial No. 526,156.

different cleansing devices and finally dis- `charged. from the machine.`

As the movements of the feed devices determlne the positions of the cans or articles 1n the machine and the length of time each can remains over one of the spray devices to be treated, it is proposed to releasably v connect the conveyor to the valves for operating-'the latter, thus doing away with the uncertainty' of operation and the necessity of frequent adjustments attendant upon the use of the can-weight valve controlling deset forth in which the valves controlling the discharge of fluid are opened by movement of the conveyor only vwhen articles to be cleaned are improper position over the spray devices controlled by said valves. Further objects are to provide improvements in can washing machines in the other respects hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a washing machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section therethrough, on line 2 2, Fig. 1. i

Fig. 3 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale, of one. of the fluid discharge control ling valves thereof.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4--4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the controlling valve and operating lever therefor, removed from the machine. Y

6, 7, 8 and 9 are sectional elevations showing different positions of the cans and of the valve operating means.

Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation showing the conveyor actuating mechanism.

The embodiment of the invention ilustrated, briefly stated, comprises a washing machine having a valve or valves for conreceptacles or articles.

ing cans.

trolling the discharge of cleaning, rinsing or drying Huid or the'like, and a lever or part for actuating said valve, a reciprocating conveyor or feed device for moving articles through said machine, and a member mounted on said conveyor which is moved by a can or article when such can is in proper position to be sprayed or otherwise treated, to establish a releasable connection between said conveyor and the valve operating lever so that the valve may be positively opened upon movement of said conveyor.

For purposes of illustration, the invention is shown as applied to a milk can washing machine but it will be obvious that the invention may be used in connection with machines for washing, sterilizing or drying, or performing analogous operations, on other In the machine illustrated, 1() designates a preliminary rinse pipe which is adapted to discharge jets of rinse water to the cans or the like and which is supplied with water from a service pipe 11. 12 and 13 designate jet boxes which are adapted to discharge washing solution, boiling water, or other cleaning or sterilizing media to cans positioned thereover. 14 designates a spring closed valve whichcontrols the discharge of water from the rinse pipe 10, and 15 a similar valve controlling the discharge from jet box 12. 18 designates spaced parallel longitudinal rails forming a track on which the cans 19 are moved through the machine, and 2O .designates a similar track for su porting the can lids 21. 22 designates t ey conveyor or feed bars which reciprocate longitudinally between the rails 18, and 23 are dogs carried by the feed bars for engaging the cans to move them to successive positions on the tracks and through the machine` 24 designates the mechanism for reciprocating the conveyor or feed bars, which mechanism is described in detail in application Serial Number 434,865, filed January 4, 1921, and which operates to move the feed bars forward to move the cans to successive advanced positions over the spray devices, then backward to permit the cans to remain in said advanced positions and then dwelling or resting for a sulicient length of time to permit the cans to be effectively treated by the spray devices or the like before again moving forward to advance the next succeed- 24a is a cross head connecting the actuating mechanism 24 to the feed bars 22. 25 is the casing or hood of the machine by which the cans are enclosed while being washed, and 26 is a spray pipe for applying the washing or sterilizing fluid to the outside of the cans and can lids.

` The valves 14 and 15 are provided with that their heads 29 are normally raised asshown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 so as to be in position to engage the edges of the mouths of cans resting on the track over the spray devices as the feed bars travel in their return or backward movement and, as the return movement of the feed bars continues, to be depressed or guided by the edges of the mouths of the cans to positions to engage the actuating devices for the respective valves. The fingers 27 are preferably arranged so as to have a limited movement on their pivots.

jAs illustrated, this may be done by means ofv the pin and slot connections 30a between the fingers and the feed bars to which they are pivoted.

The preferred form of actuating members for the valves each comprise a lever 31 having an innerlend 31a projecting in the path of travel of the lug head 29 when it is depressed, and an outer end 31". The levers are pivoted as at 32 to swing horizontally, and as illustrated, may be pivoted to brackets 33 or the like which are riveted or otherwise secured to the casing of the machine, as at 34. 35 designates valve operating heads secured to the outer ends 31b of the levers, As illustrated, each valve operating head is preferably provided with a threaded stem 36 which extends through a suitable threaded opening in the end of the lever 31 to which it is applied and the head is maintained connected to the lever by means 'of a nut 37 on the stem 36. By manipulating the threaded stems 36 and nuts 37, the heads 35 may be caused to project a greater or leer distance from the ends of the levers. The heads 35 engage valve stems 38 which control the opening and closing of the spring closing valves, whereby when the lever head is swung to the left from the position shown in 1, the valve stem will be forced inwardly as shown in Fig, 5 and the valve opened to discharge the cleaning fluid.

In the operation of the machine, the reciprocating conveyer members or feed bars which move the cans through the machine travel rst forward to move one or more of the cans to positionover the jet or spray devices. then back to positions to engage succeeding cans, in which last named position the conveyors then remain at rest a sucient length of time for the cans above the jet or spray devices to be thoroughlysprayed or otherwise treated. The conveyor mechanism then continues to operate in the cycle above set forth. The fingers 2T are so positioned on the feed bars and so disposed relatively to the levers 31 that the fingers are adapted to engage the ends of levers 31 y during backward movement of the feed bars so that the valves will be opened and maintained open durin r the period that the feed bars are at rest. pon forward movement of the feed bars, the fingers are moved forwardly and the valves allowed to close. These movements are illustrated in Figs. 6-9 inclusive, Where Fig. 6 shows the positions of the parts during the beginning of the forward movement of' the feed bars 'with a can in position over the jet device 10. During the forward movement, the can shown in Fig. 6 is moved forward to the position illustrated at thel right of Fig. 7 and a succeeding can brought into position over jet device 10. The feed bars then move backwards, the finger 27 passing under the edge of the mouth of the second can, as shown in Fig. 8. As the rearward movement of the feed bars continues, the head 29 of the finger 27 is depressed by an edge of the can and engages the inner end of lever 31 and swings the outer end of lever 31'to the left, o ening the valve and discharging the fluid` rom the jet device 10 to the can. The fingers 27 are so balanced as to require but very slight pressure to depress them to engage the valve operating lever. By reason of this fact the apparatus will operate successfully on cans of any weight,V as all that is required to enge'the fingers with the valve operating evers are slight obstructions in the path of travel of the upraised fin rs in positions above the spray devices. T e pivoted fingers may be arranged for operating the levers of any one of the valves for controlling the discharge or supply of any suitable rinsing, washin or sterlizing ok drying medium, or all of t em, as desired.

I claim as in invention:

1. In a machlne ofthe character described, the combination of means vfor sup orting articles to be treated while travelingt rough the machine, a reciprocatory conveyor for moving the articles on said supporting means through the machine, means for dischargin a medium to said articles, a valve controlling the discharge of said medium, an operating member for opening said valve, and a device which is mountedon said reciprocatory conveyor and is shifted by an article in operative relation to s aid discharge means to a position for engaging said valve operating member, said device movin said operating member to open said valve uring movement of said conveyor in one direction.

2. In a machine ofthe character described, the combination of means for supporting articles to be treated while traveling through the machine, a reciprocatory conveyor for moving the articles on said supporting means through said machine, a *et device adjacent which the successive artic es are positioned to be treated by fluid discharged therefrom, a valve for controlling the discharge of fluid from said jet device, and a movable device carried by said Mconveyor for actuating said valve by the movement of said conveyor in one direction to open said valve, said movable device engaging the article positioned adjacent said jet device whereby said movable device is shifted to valve actuating position.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means for supporting articles to be treated while traveling through the machine, a reciprocatory conveyor for moving the articles on said supporting means, a jet device adapted to discharge Huid to the articles and over which the successive articles on said supporting means are positioned, a valve controlling the discharge from said jet device, a valve operating member operatively engaging said valve, and a device movably mounted on said conveyor to be shifted to and from a position to enga said valve operating member, said device having a portion engaging an article positioned over said jet device to be shifted by said article to engage said valve operating member.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means forsup-` porting articles to be treated while traveling through the machine, a reciprocatoryconveyor for moving the articles on said supporting means, a jet device adapted to discharge fluid to the articles and over which the successive articles on said supporting means arek positioned, a valve controlling the discharge from said jet devices, an o ratin arm for said valve, a device pivote to sai conveyor, said device being normali aib ran sai jet device and to be moved by said article to a position to engage said valve operating arm during movement of said conve or in one direction.

5. n a machine of the character .described, the combination of ymeans for sup- ,porting'articles to be treated while traveling of said conveyor in one direction, said device having a cam head whereby it is moved by an article on said support to said latter position during said movement of said con- `veyor.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means for supporting articles to be treated While traveling through the machine, means for supplying va treating medium to articles when poslafiliarse ing connection during movement of said conveyor in one direction.

7. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means for supportin articles to be treated while traveling throug the machine, means for discharging a medium to treat articles when positioned at a predetermined place on said supporting means, a conveyor for moving successive articles to and from said predetermined place to be treated by said medium, a spring closed Valve controlling the discharge of medium from said discharge means', said valve having a stem projecting therefrom, a valve operating member adapted to be pressed against said stem to open said valve, and means carried by said conveyor and by an article positioned at said predetermined place for engaging said valve operating member to open said valve during one movement ofsaid conveyor.

FRANK r. WoLF. 

